By wendy, on November 9th, 2011%
 By Wendy Burnett
Day 8 – The Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge (#HAWMC) prompt for today is actually “3 Truths and 1 lie. Tell us 3 things that are true about you, your condition, your Health Activism, or your life. Now tell us 1 lie. Do you think we will be able to tell the difference?”
I’m not really crazy about this one, and I missed the Saturday post (that I did like) so I’m going to switch them out. (Besides, I’m a crappy liar, and don’t have much chance of coming up with something you’ll believe.)
So the prompt I’m working from is: “5 things that changed my life. For better? For worse? List 5 things that changed your life as a patient, caregiver, or Health Activist and how.”
This is a bit of a tough one for me, since most of the things that have changed my life have not been pleasant to live through, and are not fun to think about. One of the things I’ve learned in my 50+ years is that enjoyable experiences tend not to have lasting effects on my life (and they never last long enough, either.)
The experiences themselves may have been unpleasant, but mostly they’ve had good results (eventually.) I look at the nasty bits of my life as learning experiences because every one of them has taught me something I needed to know, pushed me out of my comfort zone, or both.
I guess the first and most life changing experience that I can remember is my mother “kidnapping” me from my dad’s family when I was 5 years old. Continue reading Life Changers are Always Painful »
By wendy, on November 6th, 2011%
 Image by bayareabaw via Flickr
By Wendy Burnett
Oh, well, looks like yesterday is going to have to be one of my “get out of post free” days. Between the pain levels and the Vicodin hangover (I don’t take that crap very often, so it can have some odd effects,) I slept until I had to get ready for work. I’ll probably make it up later though, because the prompt is pretty interesting.
The day 6 prompt for The Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge (#HAWMC) is “If I could do anything as a Health Activist… Get aspirational. Money is no longer an option. What is your biggest goal that is now possible? How could you get there? Now bring it back down to size. How much of this can you accomplish now, in a year, in five years?”
This is gonna be fun. I’ve been thinking about all the things I’d like to do if I had the money for a WHILE and a lot of it is just going to be writing it all down, so lets get started.
- First, I’d quit my job at the awful place so I could focus on my writing and research.
- I’d set up an actual office/studio space so I’d have somewhere I could do audios, videos, and decent pictures for my writing and get away from the constant interruptions while I’m trying to write.
- I’d start working on that TV show from day 2 of the challenge.
- I’d start the newsletter that’s been waiting for me to be able to afford the autoresponder for it, upgrade my hosting plan to provide more functionality for my site, upgrade my free accounts on places like HootSuite and Timely, get rid of all the annoying affiliate links on my site, and do some advertising.
- I’d do more experimentation and research on alternative treatments, and get certified as both an herbalist and an aromatherapist.
- I’d add resources to the website, like scheduled chats on various topics with someone actually there even if I had to pay them, beginner’s guides for the newly diagnosed, and whatever else we could come up with that would be helpful.
- Finally, I’d hire some other members of the chronic illness community to do things like find useful links and research, contribute content, and do graphics and website upgrades/maintenance. I know that there are thousands of people out of work, but I think that part of my responsibility as an activist is to help our OWN community first, and only go outside for services if I can’t find someone within the community to do what needs done.
I know from experience that with the flexibility to work from home, when symptoms allow, most of us are able to do a lot more than we think is possible. In addition, the opportunity to be productive and contribute something helps immensely with the emotional stresses of being sick all the time. It’s more complicated to have to manage multiple employees who need flexibility, rather than a single employee that can do the whole job; but that single employee has a chance at a traditional job, where the others have no hope of being hired by a company that only cares about getting the job done as cheaply as possible.
Now for part two . . . what CAN I do with the resources I have available? In the next year I can continue to add more content and develop resources for the community. I especially want to add at least one article on how to tell whether a “member” site for various illnesses is a genuine forum for helpful resources or a “shill” site sponsored by someone with something to sell. I can update my “links” pages, and I can go ahead and start the newsletter I want to do without the autoresponder.
In the next five years? I have no idea, other than more of the above. Most everything else requires money, and I have no way of knowing whether the financial situation will change enough to allow me to do any of those things.
This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J
By wendy, on November 3rd, 2011%
 Image via Wikipedia
By Wendy Burnett
The Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge Prompts (#HAWMC) for day two is to write about a TV show based on my life or blog . . . I LOVE this! My mind is going wild with ideas, but they’re all based on the same theme. The only real problem right now is a name. I have absolutely no idea what to call it, and I’m hoping that by the time I hit the end of the post I’ll have come up with something.
The format is dead easy, as soon as I read the prompt I knew I wanted something like a cross between Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil (without the confrontational pseudo-therapy.) The focus is living well in spite of having chronic illnesses and educating “normals” about the difficulties we face every day.
This gives me a huge range of possible guests; life coaches and psychologists, medical doctors that specialize in pain management and various chronic illnesses, massage therapists, herbalists, aromatherapists, acupuncturists, reflexologists, chiropractors, health activists, nutritionists, specialists in ergonomics and accessibility, lawyers that specialize in disability issues and patients with different issues and combinations of illnesses.
Not only that, but the combinations are endless. Panels of patients discussing how hard it is to get adequate pain relief or trying to find doctors that don’t treat them like addicts, debates between allopathic physicians and holistic physicians, massage therapists and aromatherapists discussing how their specialties can be combined, discussions between pain management doctors who believe that opiods are a necessary tool and doctors who refuse to prescribe pain medications at all, etc., etc., etc.
So many possibilities, so many topics . . .
This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J
By wendy, on October 30th, 2011%
 Credit: Free images from acobox.com
By Wendy Burnett
When I was in therapy, my therapist used to tell me I was comparing my “insides” to everyone else’s “outsides.” (Thanks Ginny, it took me a while, but I finally get it.) Intellectually, I understood what she was saying, but I never really “felt” it until recently.
What gave me the push I needed was one day when I was still working fast food. One of the people I was working with said she envied me and wished she had a life like mine . . . My immediate thought was, “darlin, if you knew what my life is really like, you wouldn’t want it.” That’s when it really connected for me.
She only saw what I let her see, the cheerful, funny me with the great friends and strong marriage. Continue reading Are You Comparing Your Insides to Everyone Else’s Outsides? »
By wendy, on October 28th, 2011%
Those with chronic illness have many things in common, and one of the ones that has the biggest effect on our ability to take care of ourselves is the massive amounts of money we have to spend on medical care, prescriptions, OTC medications, and assistive devices. Even with insurance, copays and treatments/medications that aren’t covered can amount to thousands of dollars a year (at one point, I was spending about $400 a month on copays, just for medication.)
Unless you have a really good income, that doesn’t leave much for all the other necessities of life, so any opportunity to save a few dollars can make the difference between replacing that shorted out heating pad or having higher pain levels because you don’t have the money for a new one.
It can also mean that you can’t afford to replace your old glasses, leaving you to suffer headaches and vision problems caused by wearing glasses with outdated prescription lenses, wearing broken frames that have been taped or glued back together, or having to do without.
This is a big issue in our household, since all four of us need eyeglasses, and even with the sales at the “mall stores” and eye doctor’s offices, we’d never been able to find anything we liked for less than $150. A couple of years ago, one of my roommates found a solution. He purchased a pair of fashionable, flattering eyeglasses for around $50 online. He got cheap eyeglasses that look good? We were all thrilled.
So where did he find them? Zenni Optical, an online company that sells prescription glasses at affordable prices. They have a huge range of styles and lens options at prices that are a fraction of even the “big box” warehouse stores, and you can even “try them on” by uploading a photo of yourself and using their site to show you what the frame would look like on you. (The worst thing about buying new eyeglasses, for me, has always been that without my prescription lenses I can’t really tell how the frames I’m trying on actually look.)
So far, both of our roommates, and one of our neighbors, have “Zenni glasses,” and we’re about to add another pair to the family. Hubby’s frame broke a few weeks ago, so he’s going to need a new pair.
He only wears memory titanium frames because he’s so near-sighted he can’t even see well enough to find his glasses if he’s not wearing them, and he frequently falls asleep without taking them off. (Have you ever slept in wire-framed glasses, then had to take them in to be readjusted? With memory titanium, that’s not a problem any more.) He was convinced that he’d have to go to one of the high-end stores to find what he needed, but I found a frame on the Zenni site that is identical to the one we paid over $100 for at a warehouse club, for only $24. (#311615) Guess where his next pair is coming from. LOL
 Hubby's expensive frames look just like this $24 frame from Zenni Optical. One of our roommates has had his glasses for over a year now, and the other has had his for about 3 years, and neither one has ever had a problem with them. The customer service was great, the glasses got here when they were supposed to, and the fit is perfect. They’ve both said that they’ll be buying all their eyeglasses from Zenni from now on, and the neighbor who got hers there has said the same thing. The only minor thing is having to wait two weeks to get them, but she got an identical pair of glasses from one of the “mall stores,” and that took 8 days. She said that for the amount she saved, it was more than worth the wait.
By wendy, on September 15th, 2011%
 Image by bloomingdalelibrary via Flickr
By Wendy Burnett
One of my absolute favorite activities is a nice long soak in a hot bath full of some wonderful smelling bath salts, but that can be expensive if you have to go out and buy the bath salts at the store. I’ve found out I can make my own; quickly, easily, AND cheaply; with just a few simple ingredients.
Not only are they just as luxurious as the store bought ones, but I can select essential oils that help to relax me and ease my pain, or ones that will wake me up and reduce depression. I decide what effect I want, and with a little research and experimentation, I can get it.
CAUTION: Do not use pure essential oils directly on your skin. They are very strong, and can cause burns and scarring if used undiluted. If you accidentally get some on you, use olive oil or coconut oil on it immediately to dilute it, and see a doctor if there is any pain or reddening of the skin. Also, you should never use an essential oil derived from any plant you are allergic to. (If you’re allergic to ragweed, be extremely careful of chamomile oil. They are members of the same family, and an allergy to ragweed means you may also react to chamomile.) See Using Essential Oils Safely for more information.
The Recipe
- epsom salt
- a glass container with an airtight seal (you can’t use plastic or metal with essential oils, the oils will interact with the container, and could introduce toxins to your salts.)
- essential oils of your choice
- optional: unscented sea salt to mix with the epsom salt
Note: The magnesium in the epsom salt is absorbed through your skin, and helps to relieve pain and relax your muscles. If you’re using the bath to help ease the symptoms of your chronic illness, I recommend that you use no more than half sea salt if you mix it. Although sea salt also contains many trace minerals, it doesn’t work as well to ease pain; and it increases the price of your blend because it is much more expensive.
The basic recipe is simple. For each cup of salt, add 10 drops of essential oil. I like to layer it, with a cup of salt, add 10 drops of oil, another cup of salt, another 10 drops of oil until my container is about 3/4 of the way full, then seal it and shake it up really well. It just seems to mix better and infuse the scents more evenly, especially if I’m using several different oils. For the most even infusion and blending of scents, leave the jar sealed for at least 24 hours before using, shaking it several times to remix and blend.
One of my favorite essential oil blends is half lavender and half rosemary. They are both excellent for skin irritations like psoriasis, eczema or insect bites; stimulate the circulatory system; reduce stress and fatigue; help with migraines and tension headaches; open the the bronchial tubes and help with asthma and bronchitis; repel insects; and reduce pain. Lavender also helps to reduce depression and anxiety, eases the pain of sciatica, and is helpful with vertigo; and rosemary is helpful with neuralgia and “fibrog” (it’s a mental stimulant.)
Using your bath salt:
Fill the tub with water as warm as you can handle (if that’s only tepid, that’s just fine.) Add two to five cups of your bath salt under the running water, swishing it around to make sure it all dissolves, climb in and relax for at least 20 minutes (I normally end up staying at least an hour, adding warm water as needed to keep the temperature comfortable.)
For an even more relaxing, stress-relieving experience; turn off the lights, light a couple of unscented candles, and play some soothing music or a guided meditation.
This bath salt blend is also very helpful in a foot bath at the end of a long, tiring day. It will help relieve the pain of being on your feet, as well as helping to ease the fatigue. Add one cup of the bath salt to a warm foot bath, and soak for at least 20 minutes, adding warm water if needed to keep it at a comfortable temperature.
I’ve found that taking a long, hot bath with my homemade bath salts helps me manage the symptoms of my fibromyalgia, as well as being helpful with various other chronic illness issues. Stress makes my symptoms worse, and a bath not only relieves pain and reduces muscle tension, it also helps me relax and reduces my stress levels.
With the addition of a label and a pretty ribbon, homemade bath salts also make an excellent, inexpensive gift for almost any occasion. You’ll save money, and the recipient will enjoy a soothing experience that will make them feel wonderful.
If you enjoyed this post, and would like to get a notification when new posts are available, please sign up for my email list on the right near the top of the page. (Or you can make a donation to keep the site online.)
   
By wendy, on August 27th, 2011%
 by Tooley
By Wendy Burnett
I read this awesome post about The Loneliness of Pain and it really made me think about how isolated I feel sometimes. Even though I have people in my life that I CAN talk to about how bad I feel, I frequently choose not to for various reasons.
Have you done that? I’m betting that most of us have, either because we’re afraid that eventually these folks are going to get tired of “listening to us bitch,” or because we don’t want them to feel bad. There are more reasons, but most of them seem to boil down to one or the other of these two. Continue reading (Chronic Illness) = Loneliness + Isolation »
By wendy, on August 18th, 2011%
 Ready to Bloom?
By Wendy Burnett
There are so many websites out there preying on the chronically ill by promising cures or a better life if you just pay them for their secrets or tips or herbal products, that now we view almost everything that requires money with a jaundiced eye. The latest thing is “life coaching.” There are career coaches, health coaches, wellness coaches, life coaches, relationship coaches and chronic illness coaches, all asking for your money and making all sorts of claims about the wonderful things they can do for you.
Is this just another rip-off? Another way of getting what little money you have without giving you what you paid for? Honestly, it can be, if the coach you choose is unethical or poorly trained. Even if you choose a great coach, if you go in expecting to pay your money and get “fixed,” you’re going to end up feeling disappointed and ripped off.
A lot of coaches make it sound easy, like all you have to do is come in and talk to them, and everything will automatically get better. Well, not exactly . . .
Coaching, like psychological counseling, can make a huge difference in your life. BUT (and this is a very big but,) it is definitely not simple or easy. Like anything else in life worth having, you have to work for it. You have to be willing to make changes in your life that may be difficult or uncomfortable, to look at the things you do that may be sabotaging your progress, and to do the work necessary to get where you want to be in your life.
If you want to have less pain, but the only thing you’re willing to do to reduce your pain is take a pill, coaching is probably not for you. On the other hand, if you’re willing to look for other ways that may help, and actually try them, a coach can be a useful “tool” to help you find options and keep you accountable.
In the past I’ve often said, “I’m going to do this or that,” and then life happened and I forgot, or I got lazy halfway through and stopped before I’d given it enough time to find out if it helped or not. That is exactly what a coach is for. They’ll check in with you at your appointments and find out if you’re actually following-up on what you’ve decided to do. If you’re having trouble figuring out what’s next; they’ll provide tools that can help you decide, or find options, or decide what’s the most important; but they WON’T do the work for you.
A coach won’t tell you what to do, decide what you should try, or talk to your family for you. (If they do, run in the other direction.) They won’t do the research for you, and although they may give you a list of options to check into if you’re totally lost, they’re more likely to give you homework that involves finding those options for yourself. The entire purpose of coaching is to give you the tools you need so that you can go off and do it for yourself.
As odd as it sounds, a coach’s real job is to put themselves out of a job . . . and an ethical coach will try to get you to the point where you don’t need their services any more.
If you enjoyed this post, and would like to get a notification when new posts are available, please sign up for my email list on the right near the top of the page.
By wendy, on August 11th, 2011%
By Wendy Burnett
Change is difficult for anyone to deal with, but it can be terrifying when you have a chronic illness. There are so many things to be afraid of, so many “what ifs” to overcome, that making a decision becomes almost impossible. All the unknowns are paralyzing, freezing us in place, so we refuse to do anything differently because we’re so afraid.
What if adding a new medication makes me feel worse instead of better? What if my doctor refuses to write my pain prescriptions? Will having lunch with my best friend put me in a flare? Continue reading Coping with Change, Spoonie Style »
By wendy, on July 27th, 2011%
 Image via Wikipedia
By Wendy Burnett
Okay – I’ve got to be missing something here somewhere. Can someone please explain to me why it’s so important not to touch the soap dispenser and get germs on my hands?? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m about to wash my hands and remove all the germs anyway, right? If I’m washing them off as soon as I get them on my hands, why does it matter?
This really sounds like a total waste of money to me . . . Continue reading “No Touch” Hand Soap System??? WHY???? »
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"The moral test of a society is how that society treats those who are in the dawn of life . . . the children; those who are in the twilight of life . . . the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life . . . the sick, the needy, and the handicapped."
---Hubert Humphrey
Welcome to the new home of Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired. I hope you'll enjoy the changes, and the new resources I'll be adding as I have time to work on the site. Things will look a bit odd while I learn where and how to modify the appearance, so please bear with me.
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By Wendy Burnett
